One of the busiest live music weeks of 2026 rolled out across West Michigan to close out August — and Local Spins was there to recap the action in words and photos, from Ke$ha to Billy Strings.
Variety Show: Clockwise from left, Steve Lukather of Toto, Billy Strings, Myles Smith, Ke$ha. (Photos/Local Spins)
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August closed with one of West Michigan’s most hectic weeks for live music in 2026, with multiple concerts and festivals unfolding daily across the region — from the Ionia County Fairgrounds to Acrisure Amphitheater to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
And it’s not done quite yet: Josh Groban plays Acrisure tonight (Sunday) with the Grand Rapids Symphony.
Local Spins was there for much of that action this week, including prog-pop’s Toto, dance-pop’s Ke$ha and country’s Tim McGraw at Acrisure, folk-pop singer Myles Smith at Meijer Gardens, and Billy Strings’ lineup of bluegrass superstars for the Ionia Freak Fair, which unfolded for a second day with 28,000-plus attendees on Saturday. (Get first day coverage here.)
Check out photo galleries and recaps below, including a Toto review by Lorilee Craker, a Myles Smith review from Abby Brouwer and a recap of Ionia Freak Fair’s Day 2 by Chelsea Whitaker.
TOTO AT ACRISURE AMPHITHEATER (FRIDAY)
Toto headlined an unforgettable and enthralling night of classic rock for a throng of thousands packed at Acrisure Amphitheater in Grand Rapids on Friday night.
Following an extravagant jam session which closed out the band’s hit “Rosanna,” lead guitarist Steve Lukather greeted the crowd: “Feeling good tonight. Are you feeling good tonight?”
Indeed, the crowd of mostly Gen X-ers was feeling all the good vibes, soaking in the sounds of their childhoods and teenage years.
But the band did more than just churn out the Top 40 hits that made them rock staples. Lukather, 68, is an elite, extraordinary guitarist, with his on-fire technical speed and expressive phrasing. Several times he left concertgoers in awe with scorching solos.
Every musician on stage kept up with Lukather, including fellow official member Joseph Williams, 65, who joined the band as lead vocalist in 1986. Williams left the band in 1988 but rejoined in 2010 and has been with them ever since. His voice was full of power and beauty, including on the snippet he sang of “Hakuna Matata,” which in fact he sang in the movie “The Lion King.”
The Band: Toto in its Acrisure Amphitheater debut. (Photo/Veronica Ann Dearborn)
In addition to guitar solos, there were sumptuous keyboard solos by Rai Thistlewayte and newcomer Dennis Atlas, 29, who wowed with his one-in-a-million voice on “Endless.” The arena rock anthem, with its irresistible hook and winged harmonies, has been dusted off by the band who played it with relish. (Decades passed without them playing it, as no one could hit those notes that the late Fergie Frederickson could until Atlas joined them two years ago.)
By the time the big hits started rolling out, the crowd knew they were in the best hands with these ace musicians. “I’ll Be Over You,” a ballad from 1986, ignited a mass waving of phone flashlights as people recalled that person they were in love with 40 years ago, “if only for that evening,” Lukather said.
“I’ll Supply the Love,” a pulsating arena rocker, was the perfect gateway to the Big Ones.
“Hold the Line” with its heavy piano riffs and sky-high harmonies, thrilled the crowd who was on its feet dancing. Many people came down to the front of the stage and reveled in the hit from 1978, one of classic rock’s absolute bangers.
The pinnacle moment of the show came at the end, as the band swept the crowd along to “Africa,” the song–and the singalong experience–everyone was waiting for. The reappearance of openers Christopher Cross and The Romantics’ lead singer Wally Palmar to sing and play along made the finale extra special.
The musical yacht sailed in midway through the show with the appearance of Christopher Cross, soft rock king of the early ’80s. With a top-drawer eight-piece band supporting him, Cross beguiled the crowd as he rolled out his captivating, soothing music. “Never Be the Same” was as gentle and lovely as ever, while “Think of Laura,” an ode to his friend Laura Carter who was killed by a stray bullet, encouraged concertgoers to reflect on people they had lost.
Cross, 75, looked hale and hearty as he played guitar and sang, crooning in his singular voice. Never flashy, the stoic singer showed his sense of humor by telling the crowd about the time recently when a flight attendant scanned his boarding pass at the airport and said, “There used to be a singer named Christopher Cross,” and then went on to tell him that “Christopher Cross” had died.
Clearly alive and well, Cross regaled the crowd with the dreamy “Sailing” and “Arthur’s Theme,” for which he won an Oscar in 1981, the same year he won five Grammy Awards. Leaving on a high note, Cross left the crowd clapping with the ebullient “Say You’ll Be Mine” and his most uptempo hit, “Ride Like the Wind.”
It had been a while since Detroit’s power pop/new wave band The Romantics toured Grand Rapids. The last show was Dec. 31, 2011, a massively attended free show that took place at Rosa Parks Circle.
“We should have paid our bills a bit better last time we were here,” lead singer Wally Palmar said, perhaps referring to the Coz Canler royalty lawsuit that happened around that time.
Whatever happened then, Canler was onstage, shredding his heart out as lead guitarist, supporting hits such as “Talking in Your Sleep” and “What I Like About You.” On the latter, the crowd hopped up and began dancing as Palmar played a mean harmonica to the song, initially only #49 on the charts but which became a huge hit and the band’s most recognizable song. – By Lorilee Craker
PHOTO GALLERY: Toto, Christopher Cross, The Romantics at Acrisure Amphitheater
Photos by Veronica Ann Dearborn
MYLES SMITH AT MEIJER GARDENS (FRIDAY)
Myles Smith turned Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park into a warm and energetic celebration Friday night, filling the outdoor venue with big singalongs, heartfelt moments, and plenty of opportunities for the people around him to shine.
Even before Smith took the stage, there was a cozy feeling surrounding the evening. Fans were handed disposable cameras before the show, adding to the sense that the night was meant to be remembered. Once Smith and his band took the stage, that feeling continued as they opened with songs such as “Stay,” “Wait for You,” and “Hold Me in the Dark.”
Smith moved easily between emotional moments and upbeat crowd favorites, giving fans plenty of opportunities to sing along throughout the night. “Hate You” and “Whisper” kept the energy moving, while “Grandma’s Place” brought a more intimate feeling to the set.
Full-Band Frolic: Myles Smith at Meijer Gardens. (Photo/Joshua Tufts)
One of the most personal moments came before “My Mess,” when Smith paused to talk about the process behind his latest album. He explained that the project began with a conversation with his mother, who asked him what he actually wanted to say through his music.
That question led Smith to look back at his childhood, his family and a difficult period in his late teens and early 20s. He spoke openly about therapy and revisiting old therapy notes while writing the album, explaining how getting older gave him a different perspective on experiences that once felt impossible to overcome.
“We live in this beautiful gray area,” Smith told the crowd, describing the space between life’s happiest and most difficult moments.
He encouraged young people to allow themselves to feel their emotions, adults to seek therapy when they need it, and men to listen to the women in their lives. It was a vulnerable moment that gave the audience a glimpse into the experiences behind Smith’s music before he returned to the performance.
Smith continued with “My Home” and “My Mess” before showing another side of his musical range with covers of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You.” The familiar songs quickly turned into crowd-wide singalongs.
Then Smith shifted the spotlight away from himself entirely. He asked the audience to choose which member of his six-person band they wanted to hear perform a solo. He went through all six musicians, giving the drummer, pianist, guitarist, violist, bassist and electric guitarist their own moments to shine. “Look at my band, they’re very talented people,” Smith said.
And it was clear that he meant it. The band was never treated like background decoration. Each member had a specific place on the stage, with musicians spread across different levels, making them feel like an intentional part of the show. Smith repeatedly praised them throughout the night and shared stories about his relationships with some of them, including one member he said he had known since he was 11 years old.
Smith brought the crowd back into the show’s upbeat energy before eventually closing with his hit “Stargazing.” The song brought the night to a fitting close, where you could hear everyone in the audience singing along and carrying the energy through the final moments.
By the end of the concert, Smith had given his band room to shine, shared the experiences behind his music, and given fans plenty of reasons to sing and dance. More than anything, he created an atmosphere that felt open and genuine — a reminder that the most memorable concerts are often the ones that feel the most human. – By Abby Brouwer
PHOTO GALLERY: Myles Smith, Michael Marcagi at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Joshua Tufts
IONIA FREAK FAIR: DAY 2 (SATURDAY)
The second day of Billy Strings’ much-ballyhooed Ionia Freak Fair at the Ionia County Fairgrounds drew even a bigger jam-packed crowd, with upwards of 30,000 fans flooding the circus-themed site.
Sold-Out Affair: The Day 2 Crowd (Fan Photo/Peter Zadvinskis)
Those throngs got an earful as the Ionia County-bred guitarist led a cavalcade of bluegrass heroes — along with some heavy metal merchants — through set after set of crowd-pleasing jams, this time amid gray skies (compared to the searing sun of opening day on Friday).
Sierra Hull, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper and Kalamazoo bluegrass powerhouse Greensky Bluegrass were all on tap Saturday, preceding two more lengthy sets from the festival’s host, Billy Strings.
Billy Strings even relived his metal-head roots, joining Michigan metalcore band Flesh & Blood Robot in The Pyramid Scheme Pinball & Metal Tent, which also hosted sets by Cryptopsy and See You Next Tuesday.
Here’s a take on Day 2 from Local Spins’ Chelsea Whitaker:
Billy Strings’ blend of metalheads and bluegrass wooks is really something. I’ve never seen so many different genres of clowns in one place: The circus-motif affair boasted the slipknot style mask, jesters, mad hatters, rave clowns and wook clowns. It was also fun to watch the hippies wander into the metal tent and melt their faces off, while the metalheads seeped closer to Main Stage for Billy Strings.
All-Star Affair: And a shoutout to the Michigan Music Alliance. (Fan Photo)
It certainly impressed many fans. “I can’t wait to tell my kids about this,” Jo, a big Billy fan, told me.
Another attendee, Mila, pointed to the fans themselves: “The community. The music is something to connect with on a deeper level than you could on an average day.”
The Wall of Death and sideshow tent were both spectacles to be had. Overall, a really cool concept and execution. My only suggestion for next year would be to have circus performers more active throughout the crowd, and maybe more pinball machines.
“I think the organizers did a fantastic job,” said fan Peter Zadvinskis, who made the trip to Ionia from Big Rapids, noting that everyone on site was friendly and accommodating in spite of the crowded conditions and long merch lines.
As for the main attraction, Billy’s second day of unleashing two sets on the big stage proved to be an epic 28-song affair that brought all of his musician pals on stage at some point, including his father Terry Barber, Dobroist Mark Lavengood, fiddler Michael Cleveland, mandolinist Sierra Hull and Kalamazoo’s Greensky Bluegrass. View the career-spanning set list here, a performance that included lots of covers of traditional bluegrass classics. And view full Day 1 coverage here.
PHOTO GALLERY: Ionia Freak Fair (Day 2)
